Einfluss verschiedener Antibiotika auf klinische Befunde und Speichelparameter im Verlauf der Parodontitistherapie

Die Behandlung der chronischen Parodontitis erfolgt durch eine mechanische Therapie (Deep Scaling und Wurzelglättung), die den mikrobiellen Biofilm entfernen soll. Sie kann bei schweren Fällen der chronischen Parodontitis durch eine adjuvante Antibiotikagabe unterstützt werden. Bei Parodontitispatienten ist im Speichel eine erhöhte oxidative Belastung sowie eine veränderte antioxidative Kapazität nachweisbar. In der vorliegenden Arbeit sollte der Einfluss der mechanische Therapie auf die klinischen Parameter untersucht werden und ob diese Ergebnisse durch eine zusätzliche Antibiotikagabe verbessert werden können. Das Antibiotikum Moxifloxacin wurde mit Doxycyclin hinsichtlich seiner klinischen Wirksamkeit verglichen. Zusätzlich wurde untersucht, ob die Behandlung der chronischen Parodontitis zu Veränderungen des oxidativen Status im Speichel führt. Im Rahmen der Studie wurden 41 Patienten mit chronischer Parodontitis behandelt, wobei 11 Personen ohne adjuvante Antibiotikagabe, 18 Patienten mit Doxycyclin und 12 Patienten mit Moxifloxacin therapiert wurden. Die Untersuchungen erfolgten vor Beginn der Therapie sowie 3, 6 und 12 Monate danach. Die Sondierungstiefen und –blutungen konnten mittels der durchgeführten parodontalen Therapie in allen Gruppen signifikant reduziert werden. Ein signifikanter Attachmentgewinn wurde erreicht. Die Anzahl der Zähne mit Lockerungsgrad 0 stieg ebenfalls signifikant an. Die Gruppen mit adjuvanter Antibiotikatherapie wiesen einen messbar besseren Therapieerfolg auf als die Gruppe ohne Antibiotikagabe. Zwischen den beiden untersuchten Antibiotika Doxycyclin und Moxifloxacin konnten keine Unterschiede in der klinischen Wirksamkeit gefunden werden. Die vor der Therapie erhöhte oxidative Belastung sowie antioxidative Abwehr konnte durch die durchgeführte Therapie reduziert und normalisiert werden

Perfluorierte Tenside. Braucht es neue gesetzliche Bestimmungen zum Schutz von Mensch und Umwelt vor den gefährlichen Industriechemikalien PFOS und PFOA?

Perfluorierte Tenside wurden bis vor Kurzem bei der Herstellung von unterschiedlichsten Produkten verwendet. Wegen ihrer Persistenz und Bioakkumulation wurde der Umgang mit den wichtigsten PFT-Vertretern PFOS und PFOA im internationalen und europäischen Recht stark beschränkt oder gar verboten. In der Schweiz bestehen noch Regelungslücken. Auswirkungen auf Mensch und Umwelt können insbesondere die in Feuerlöschschäumen verwendeten PFT sowie daraus resultierende Belastungen bei Feuerwehrübungsplätzen haben. Haftungsrechtliche Folgen sind nicht auszuschliessen. Jusqu’à il y a peu, les tensioactifs perfluorés étaient utilisés lors de la fabrication des produits les plus divers. En raison de leur persistance et de leur bioaccumulation, l’usage des principales substances PFT, le SPFO et l’APFO, a été fortement limité, voire même interdit, par le droit international et européen. En Suisse, la réglementation est encore lacunaire. Plus particulièrement, les PFT utilisés dans les mousses anti-incendie ainsi que les nuisances qui en résultent sur les places d’exercice de sapeurs-pompiers peuvent avoir des effets sur l’homme et l’environnement. On ne peut exclure des conséquences en termes de responsabilité

Teacher self-efficacy and mental health: their intricate relation to professional resources and attitudes in an established manual-based psychological group program

Introduction: Teaching is considered a mentally challenging occupation. Teacher self-efficacy is a personal resource which buffers the experience of stress and may be important in maintaining mental health. The preventive intervention “Manual-Based Psychological Group Program for Teachers” (MBPGPT) was applied and evaluated state-wide to improve the mental health of teachers. This study aims to investigate the intricate relation between teacher self-efficacy and mental health and their changes in the course of the intervention. Method: Using a single-group pre-/post-design, the relation between teacher self-efficacy and mental health was investigated in 742 teachers. Pre- and post-changes in teacher self-efficacy and their interaction with mental health were examined in a subsample of 171 teachers, who met the conservative inclusion criteria. In ancillary analyses, correlations with underlying changes in work-related behavior and experience patterns were analyzed to better understand the intricate link between teacher self-efficacy and mental health. Results: Teacher self-efficacy showed a significant, moderate correlation with mental health. Self-efficacy was moderately higher after the intervention than before the intervention, but independent of changes in mental health. Teacher self-efficacy was related to work-related psychological resistance and positive emotions. An increase in teacher self-efficacy was accompanied by an improvement in life satisfaction and distancing ability. A decrease in teacher self-efficacy went hand in hand with reduced experience of social support. Discussion: This study confirmed teacher self-efficacy as an important, reliable resource and its correlation with psychological resistance. The absence of a control group limits what causal conclusions can be drawn from the study. Nevertheless, self-efficacy seems to be a worthwhile goal of preventive interventions for teachers and should be promoted due to its wide-ranging implications. Suggestions for further studies and interventions are made

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthy blood donors from the state of Tyrol, Austria, in summer 2020.

BACKGROUND: Seroepidemiological studies provide important insight into the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV‑2) in our society. We aimed to determine seropositivity of SARS-CoV‑2 antibodies and its cross-sectional correlates in a large cohort of blood donors. METHODS: In this observational cohort study, we tested healthy blood donors residing in Tyrol, Austria, for SARS-CoV‑2 antibodies using the Abbott SARS-CoV‑2 IgG chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. We estimated 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of seroprevalences using bootstrapping and tested for differences by participant characteristics using logistic regression. FINDINGS: Between 8 June and 4 September 2020, we screened 5345 healthy individuals at local blood donor sessions (mean age 42.7 years, SD 13.5 years, 46.7% female). Overall seroprevalence was 3.1% (95% CI 2.7-3.6%, 165 cases), which is 5.1-fold higher (95% CI 4.5-6.0%) than the case number identified by the health authorities in the state-wide testing program (0.6%; 4536 out of 757,634). Seroprevalence was higher in the district Landeck (16.6%, P < 0.001) and in individuals aged < 25 years (4.7%, P = 0.043), but did not differ by gender, blood types, or medication intake. The odds ratio for seropositivity was 2.51 for participants who had travelled to Ischgl (1.49-4.21, P = 0.001), 1.39 who had travelled to other federal states (1.00-1.93, P = 0.052), and 2.41 who had travelled abroad (1.61-3.63, P < 0.001). Compared to participants who had a suspected/confirmed SARS-CoV‑2 infection but were seronegative, seropositive participants more frequently reported loss of smell (odds ratio = 2.49, 1.32-4.68, P = 0.005) and taste (odds ratio = 2.76, 1.54-4.92, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In summer 2020, SARS-CoV‑2 seroprevalence in Tyrolean blood donors was 3.1%. Our study revealed regional variation and associations with young age, travel history and specific symptoms

Down-regulation of CYLD expression by Snail promotes tumor progression in malignant melanoma

High malignancy and early metastasis are hallmarks of melanoma. Here, we report that the transcription factor Snail1 inhibits expression of the tumor suppressor CYLD in melanoma. As a direct consequence of CYLD repression, the protooncogene BCL-3 translocates into the nucleus and activates Cyclin D1 and N-cadherin promoters, resulting in proliferation and invasion of melanoma cells. Rescue of CYLD expression in melanoma cells reduced proliferation and invasion in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Analysis of a tissue microarray with primary melanomas from patients revealed an inverse correlation of Snail1 induction and loss of CYLD expression. Importantly, tumor thickness and progression-free and overall survival inversely correlated with CYLD expression. Our data suggest that Snail1-mediated suppression of CYLD plays a key role in melanoma malignancy

Quantitative modelling: Key aspects of models

Quantitative modelling: Key aspects of models What can models deliver? Where are their limits

Assessing a risk tailored intervention to prevent disabling low back pain - protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although most patients with low back pain (LBP) recover within a few weeks a significant proportion has recurrent episodes or will develop chronic low back pain. Several mainly psychosocial risk factors for developing chronic LBP have been identified. However, effects of preventive interventions aiming at behavioural risk factors and unfavourable cognitions have yielded inconsistent results. Risk tailored interventions may provide a cost efficient and effective means to take systematic account of the individual risk factors but evidence is lacking.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This study will be a cluster-randomised controlled trial comparing screening and a subsequent risk tailored intervention for patients with low back pain to prevent chronic low back pain compared to treatment as usual in primary care. A total of 600 patients from 20 practices in each study arm will be recruited in Berlin and Goettingen. The intervention comprises the following elements: Patients will be assigned to one of four risk groups based on a screening questionnaire. Subsequently they receive an educational intervention including information and counselling tailored to the risk group. A telephone/email consulting service for back pain related problems are offered independent of risk group assignment. The primary outcomes will be functional capacity and sick leave.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will evaluate the effectiveness of screening for risk factors for chronic low back pain followed by a risk tailored intervention to prevent chronic low back pain. This trial will contribute new evidence regarding the flexible use of individual physical and psychosocial risk factors in general practice.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ISRCTN 68205910</p

DEVELOPMENT OF PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY FOR CLEANING ULTRAFINE TITANIUM DIOXIDE

Pri tem diplomskem delu smo poskušali razviti postopek za čiščenje ultrafinega titanovega dioksida. Ugotovili smo, da je čiščenje zelo efektivno s pomočjo centrifugiranja. Imeli smo tri suspenzije ultrafinih delcev titanovega dioksida. Dve suspenziji sta vsebovali rutil, ki je bil dispergiran v različnih koncentracijah kisline, tretja suspenzija pa je vsebovala anatas. Pred čiščenjem smo dodali koagulant, da smo dobili boljše rezultate in hitrejšo ločitev. Čiščenje je potekalo v treh stopnjah. Najprej smo eksperimente izvedli v laboratorijskem merilu, da smo določili optimalne procesne parametre. Dobljene rezultate smo preizkusili na pilotni centrifugi. Na podlagi tega smo pripravili tehnološke sheme v industrijskem merilu in izračunali kapacitete tehnološkega postopka.We were trying to develop processing technology for cleaning ultra- fine titanium dioxide. The experiments showed, that the process is effective only if centrifuges are used. Three different suspensions of ultra-fine titanium dioxide were used. Two of the suspensions had dispersed particles of rutil in different concentrations of acid. In the third suspension dispersed particles of anatas were used. Before cleaning, the coagulant was added. In this way better results were obtained and the whole separation occured quicker. The whole process was performed in three stages. First the experiments were performed on laboratory scale and optimal process parameters were determined. Based on these results the process was performed on pilot scale. Based on all obtained parameters and results, a technology scheme was developed and the capacities for the technological process were calculated